Catawba County Public Health www.catawbacountync.gov/phealth 3070 11th Ave. Dr. SE, Hickory, NC 28602 Phone (828) 695-5800 Fax (828) 695-4410

CATAWBA COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH SCHOOL NURSE PUBLISHED NATIONALLY

A case study co-authored by Catawba County Public Health School Nurse Margaret Sides, RN, BSN, and Paulette Sigmon, RN, allied health instructor at St. Stephens High School, was recently published in NASN School Nurse, a National Association of School Nursing (NASN) publication. The article, entitled “Innovative Solutions for Mandated Vision Screenings,” outlines their successful effort to increase the efficiency of mass vision screenings in schools. Vision screenings are a North Carolina requirement for first, third, fifth, seventh and ninth grade students. Utilizing St. Stephens High School Allied Health students as assistants, Sides and Sigmon were able to complete all required screenings in a few hours instead of weeks. Additionally, the Allied Health students fulfilled their curriculum requirement of obtaining practical clinical experience, including learning about and adhering to confidentiality laws. Margaret Sides Through the article, Sides and Sigmon share the details of this strategy in an effort to assist other school nurses nationwide. Sides, who joined Catawba County Public Health’s school health team in 2006, has worked in various health care settings for 28 years. She is a school nurse assigned to H.M. Arndt Middle School and St. Stephens High School. NASN School Nurse, published bi-monthly, aims to enhance school nursing practice by facilitating communication and the exchange of information and experience among colleagues. The journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Located off Fairgrove Church Road behind Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, N.C., Catawba County Public Health provides health and education services to eligible men, women, and children in the community. For more information, please call (828) 695-5800 or visit www.catawbacountync.gov/phealth.

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